In the midst of a polyphonic society defined by change and migration, Baobab Books has, for over 30 years, championed open-mindedness and respect towards people from different cultural backgrounds - putting literature and children's books in particular at it's core.

Sonja Matheson has been the publishing and program director of Baobab Books since 2004.

The company's name is taken from the imposing baobab tree (Adansonia),  native to Africa and Australia. It is not uncommon for a particularly mighty baobab - the word is derived from Arabic - to form the centre of a village community. People meet in its shade to play, debate and tell stories. We wanted to sow a seed of this tree with our publishing house. The sapling has grown slowly but surely over the decades: our 100th book has been published this year, in a programme which brings together translations from 19 languages and authors from over 40 countries, 

Simple ideas, big impact

As diverse as the works we publish are in their themes and design, they all build bridges between cultures. The primary aim is not to cement differences, but to shine a light on the connections between people.

Eymard Toledo | Uncle Flores | Baobab Books | 32 pages | 19 euros

In her picture book "Uncle Flores", Brazilian artist Eymard Toledo describes the bleak atmosphere of a small town that is becoming increasingly dusty and monotonous following the opening of a factory. Even the tailor is forced to make only grey factory uniforms. When even this order fails to materialize - the uniforms are now sourced from abroad for financial reasons - it is his nephew who has the brilliant idea of how to bring colour and joy back into people's lives ... 
In "Sansarinaga and the Flying Buffalo", the artist Jainal Amambing, a member of the indigenous Rungus of Borneo, also tells of how an apparently simple idea can bring about major changes in the community. This short story, taken from oral tradition, and illustrated by the artist with bold, colourful paintings that seem to grow out beyond the book's margins, carries a universal message at its heart.

Personal stories, historical dimensions

Let's stay for a moment in the Pacific. The children's book "The Goose Game" is based on the life of it's author, Anne-Ruth Wertheim. Born in Jakarta in 1934, she was deported to a detention camp at the age of eight after Japanese troops invaded "Dutch India". As a half-Jewish child, she was sent to a section that was run particularly harshly by the Japanese. She survived the hardships, but it was not until many years later that she began to talk and write about her experience. To this day, Anne-Ruth Wertheim is committed to fighting all aspects of discrimination and oppression. 

Pei-yun Yu & Jian-xin Zhou | Tsai Kun-lin - The Boy Who Loved to Read | Baobab Books | 168 pages | 25 euros

The graphic novel "Tsai Kun-lin" by YU Pei-yun and ZHOU Jian-xin tells the story of Taiwan's complex history. It is the true story of a man born in Taiwan in 1930 during the period of Japanese colonial rule. He was forced to join the Imperial Japanese Army at the age of 15, and at 20 was imprisoned for ten years by the occupying military government under CHIANG Kai-shek, for having read the "wrong" books. After his release, Tsai became editor at a comic publishers and later,  publisher of a children's magazine. Until his death in 2023, he campaigned fearlessly for democracy and human rights in Taiwan. In this four-volume work, we follow a moving and remarkable life - and gain an insight into the complicated events of Taiwan's recent history.

A window into another world

From Taiwan, the journey now takes us across the Pacific to Lima, Peru, the home of philosopher and children's book author Micaela Chirif. In "The Sea", a book of poems, she compels us to consider the intangible nature of the sea. Her poems have been illustrated by three Mexican artists - the collaboration has resulted in a work of art that is as beautiful as it is universal.

Micaela Chirif & Armando Fonseca | The Sea | Baobab Books | 40 pages | 18.50 euros

10 year old Pedro, living in Bogota, also dreams of the sea. He is overjoyed when, for his birthday, he is taken on his first trip to an island in the Caribbean. They say the water there is seven colours. Can this be true? But his stay turns out to be very different from how he'd imagined... "Happiness is a fish" is the title of this book by Melba Escobar de Nogale, a tale of how sometimes we have to first lose our way in order to find ourselves, and it opens a window into the Afro-Caribbean world. 

On the subject of fish: "Fresh Fish" is the title of Tanzanian artist John Kilaka's illustrated book, published in 2001 by Baobab Books. It was one of the first picture books by an African artist to be published for the German-language book market. Up until this point, there were certainly children's books about African people - but no books actually written by African authors and illustrators.

John Kilaka | Frische Fische | Baobab Books | 32 pages | 18.50 euros

"Fresh Fish" tells the story of a friendship that is put to the test and asks what a fair punishment is. It is illustrated in the style of popular Tanzanian 'tingatinga' art.  Not long after publication, the book was awarded prizes and translated into 13 languages. Three further works by John Kilaka have followed to date - also commissioned many times. There is a shadow hanging over this success story: despite many attempts, it has still not been possible to find a Tanzanian publisher for these books, so sadly Tanzanian children are still not familiar with these brightly coloured books telling mischievous tales from folklore.

Books on a journey

The collaboration with John Kilaka in 2001 was a milestone for Baobab Books. Since then the number of authors whose only opportunity to publish has been with this company has been steadily increasing. Sometimes this is due to a lack of a functioning publishing system in their home country, sometimes to rigid ideas surrounding content in children's and young adult literature, and in some cases, to censorship preventing any freedom of expression. 

Tatia Nadareishvili | Schlaf gut | Baobab Books | 32 pages | 18.50 euros

The Georgian illustrator Tatia Nadareischwili never found a Georgian publisher for her book "Sleep Well", for example. This heart-warming story of a boy who can't fall asleep was deemed "unmarketable"- whether the boy's dark skin colour is the reason for this opinion remains unclear.
Baobab Books published a bilingual German-Georgian edition, meaning that not only German-speaking readers but also the Georgian diaspora in particular could enjoy it. And the book's journey is not over yet: "Sleep Well" has already since been published in China, India and the USA.

Lived diversity

Today, around 40 percent of the books published by Baobab Books are first editions. The development process for these books is often complex, and it can take several years from the initial idea to the printed book. Text, image, translation and editing grow through collaboration and open exchange. 
Established as a not-for-profit organisation, Basel-based Baobab Books' priority is to promote both cultural diversity in children's and young adult literature and dialogue between cultures. These basic principles underlie all our projects.
Literature - translated literature in particular - can build bridges. Even after nearly 35 years here at Baobab Books we are certain of it : our program is diversity.